Las Vegas, Nevada (October 31, 2006) – Take the outrageous notion of
blending a Formula One car with a hot European street machine and
you’ve got the idea behind the Volvo C30 concept by Evolve Cars Inc.
This one-off show car started life as a European spec version of
Volvo’s youthful new C30 – unveiled to rave reviews at the 2006
Paris Motor Show. Letting its imagination run wild, Evolve created
an enthusiast’s dream machine that draws on F1 technology and its
renowned track record of maximizing the performance potential of
Volvo vehicles.

With its stunning aesthetics combined with staggering performance
capabilities, the Evolve C30 targets the enthusiast who seeks the
ultimate Volvo sport compact. From the street, to the strip to the
track, this driver wants a car that can deliver the goods on the
promise of serious performance, excellent handling and head-turning
style.

To achieve the muscular stance it envisioned the Evolve team began
by removing all the vertical panels on the car. It then
painstakingly added six inches of width at the rear fenders,
tapering to zero stretch at the tips of the front fenders. The
pronounced wedge shape and broad rear shoulders give the C30 a
menacing hunkered-down look. Up front, an adjustable F1 style front
spoiler commands attention. At the rear, a functional diffuser
accelerates air as it exits the vehicle to help keep the car glued
to the tarmac at speed. A roof-mounted rear spoiler can be adjusted
by the driver to tailor downforce as desired. The body was sprayed
in an eye-popping shade of BASF Glasurit Competition Yellow with
Silver and Graphite highlights.

Under the hood, Evolve has modified the stock C30’s 2.5-liter
turbocharged engine to deliver pavement-blistering performance. A
combination of increased air volume and pressure matched with proper
fuel and spark delivery through tuning yields an estimated 507
horsepower at 6,100 rpm and a stump-pulling 468 lb.-ft. of torque at
3,800 rpm. Sequential twin turbochargers are the keys to extracting
maximum performance. Carefully engineered plumbing and boost
management with Turbosmart components tie the turbos together to
create a brutally forceful combination.

Instead of a traditional intercooler, Evolve devised a totally cool
solution it dubs the Charged Air Cooler. Integrated with the factory
air conditioning refrigerant system, an evaporator was constructed
inside a fabricated sheet metal intake manifold. Hot, charged air
from the turbos crosses over super-cooled piping prior to entering
the throttle body. This dramatically reduces the intake charge
temperature making the heated air considerably cooler than ambient
outside temperature. Engine exhaust enters a five-into-one header,
feeds the turbos, passes through a catalytic converter and exits via
a custom-built muffler and twin, rear-facing exhaust tips located
high in the quarter panels.

While the Volvo C30 is a front-drive car, Evolve decided to leverage
the full potential of its talents by converting it to all-wheel
drive. This arduous task required underbody modifications to route a
driveshaft to the newly installed rear differential. Electronically
controlled AWD employs custom software created for this application
by Haldex of Sweden – a name familiar to Volvo aficionados as the
supplier of Volvo’s other production models. A 6-speed manual
transmission puts the driver in charge of the action.

Continuing its quest for creativity, Evolve engineered and built its
own brake system for the C30. The front caliper assembly consists of
more than 100 components resulting in a 14-piston billet aluminum
work of art. Rear calipers are six piston assemblies. Each
piston/cylinder is finned and exposed to 360º of airflow to reduce
the tendency for brake fluid to boil during repeated high-speed use.
The massive two-piece directionally vaned rotors measure 386mm in
front and 362mm in the rear and feature an exclusive Evolve slot
pattern. Evolve devised a mechanical/hydraulic parking brake system
that uses stock brake handle components to exert hydraulic pressure
upon the front calipers. Its two small “master cylinders” are
mounted on the front strut tower bar for easy viewing. The parking
brake system locks the front wheels allowing the driver to “load”
the turbochargers for brutal off the line acceleration.

To optimize handling, Evolve once again took matters into its own
hands. The front suspension is fitted with hand-built strut tubes
around double-adjustable Koni cartridges. Heavy-duty Eibach springs
support the front end for a firm, track-ready setup. With the switch
to AWD, a clean slate approach was taken for the rear suspension.
Fabricated control arms connect to an adjustable ladder bar to keep
the independently acting rear wheels firmly planted under varying
loads. Koni struts activated via pushrod assemblies can be spied
from the rear of the car through the lower air diffuser. Evolve’s
quick height adjustment suspension enables the driver to vary the
front ride height underhood using a standard socket on a
strut-to-chassis interface. Rear height is similarly changed using a
single adjuster positioned in the center of the rear diffuser.

Rounding out the performance package is an aggressive set of wheels
and tires. The Evolve C30 rides on 265/30-19 Pirelli Pzero Rosso
tires in front and monstrous 355/25-19s at the rear. The massive
rear tires neatly tucked into the modified rear fenders gives the
car a track-ready appearance. Multi-piece forged alloy Evolve wheels
are sized 19 x 9 inches in front and 19 x 14 inches in the rear. As
utilized on most every racecar, Evolve wheels feature a true single
center nut method of attachment. Graphite painted center sections
with spun brushed aluminum wheel hoops gives the Evolve C30 just the
right attitude.

In true racecar fashion, Evolve took a minimalist approach to
interior design. A six-point chrome moly safety structure was
meticulously TIG welded in place. Evolve leather upholstery in
two-tone perforated black and smooth graphite colors is contrasted
with yellow stitching. The same pattern is applied to the steering
wheel. The C30’s signature floating center console was remade with
translucent plastic to serve as a focal point for the interior.
Volvo’s stock Premium Sound System features 650 watts of Alpine®
amplified power, 10 loudspeakers from Dynaudio® and Dolby® Pro Logic
II Surround sound. Evolve added a hands-free Bluetooth mobile phone
system for safer communication while driving.

Evolve Cars, Inc. designs, builds and markets unique styling and
performance products specifically for late model Volvo vehicles.
Based in Southern California, Evolve products are distributed
domestically and internationally through select Volvo dealerships
and other independent suppliers. Refer to www.evolvecars.com for
more information.